Agriculture
Secretary Tom
Vilsack has
designated 213
counties, including
Brazos County,
for agricultural
assistance due
to drought, heat,
high winds and
wildﬁres. Farm
operators in
affected counties
have eight months
from the date
of a secretarial
disaster to apply
for assistance from
the Farm Service
Agency (FSA) and
the Supplemental
Revenue
Assistance
Payments (SURE)
Program.

Tech
Thursday
With virtual
reality as the next
technological
advancement,
Sony comes one
step closer. O’Dell
Harmon, blogger
for The Battalion,
reviews this step
as he shares
insights on Sony’s
new HMZ-TI 3D
viewer – the Sony
Visor. Read about
it at www.thebatt.
com.

Origins of Dubstep
Check out these
Dubstep artists

The genre that crosses cultures

◗ Skrillex

Shelby Shelton

Sonny Moore,
formally of
“First to Last”,
began his
Dupstep career
as Skrillex
in 2007.

◗Foreign Beggars

coming
friday
Fuller
continues
legacy
A&M star wideout
Jeff Fuller is a
second generation
Aggie athlete. Grab
a Battalion on
Friday to do your
football homework
before the A&MOSU game this
weekend.

This group was
nominated for
best European
Hip Hop Act at
the 2010 Urban
Music Awards.

◗ Caspa
As the stage
name for Gary
McCann, Caspa
produced his
own Dubstep
label in 2004.

◗Bassnectar
Also known as
Lorin Ashton,
Bassnectar is
an electronic
and dubstep DJ
based in Santa
Cruz, CA.

Special to The Battalion
Loud bass, distortive echo, frenzied
dancing: in the electronic world of the
21st century, musicians cross genre
boundaries, giving listeners new musical
flavors. One product of this new musical
culture is Dubstep.
The true roots of Dubstep trace to
1950s Jamaica. The music scene became
popular in low-income areas of Jamaica
where local DJs would load up their
vehicles with turntables and large speakers for street parties. The term “dub” resulted from the mixing of various music
tracks to produce an entire new tack.
In the 1960s and 70s, an economic
downturn in Jamaica forced many to
immigrate to the United Kingdom,
bringing their taste for off-beat rhythms
and snare emphasis along. With the new
resource of British radio stations, Dubstep’s popularity became viral.
“You’ll never hear a track and wonder, ‘Hey, is this Dubstep?’ It is very
distinctive,” senior computer science
major Blake Pavel said. “In fact, I would
venture to say that if you had never
heard a Dubstep track, but had heard
the term, you would instinctively realize
what you were listening to.”
Today, Dubstep can be heard worldwide with groups such as Bassnectar,
Skrillex and Excision.

“Excision is a beast,” Pavel said.“His
live sets at the Shambhala music festivals
are always as raw as can be.”
In addition, musicians such as La
Roux, Snoop Dog and Rihanna recently
teamed up with Dubstep artists to remix
songs for mainstream radio and dance
clubs alike. Britney Spears’ track, “Hold
it Against Me,” and LMFAO’s “Party
Rock Anthem” are two of the most
popular conversions to date.
“Dubstep is perfect because it’s a
mashup of all the craziest sounds you can
muster that make an off-beat that you
can’t help but move to,” Pavel said.
Budding artists can also create their
own Dubstep tracks at home. Computer programs such as Traktor Pro and
Abelton Live give artists a chance to mix
favorite tracks while adding their own
flair of creativity.
For now, the Dubstep scene in B-CS
is grim but growing. While locations
such as Basil Whippets and Schotzi’s
hold “Dubstep nights,” many students
said they are still unfamiliar with the
intense music genre.
“I definitely would not have even
heard of Dubstep if my roommate wasn’t
a music major,” said junior education major Lauren Newton. “She had
to explain to me what this thing was
that people had began to talk about on
MTV.”

It’s a type of music
kind of branching
off of techno, I
think. It gets more
bass and heavy
sounds like that.
Claire Peorrata,
freshman
architecture major

Dubstep is a type of
music that is played
in clubs.
Preston Tigwell,
freshman industrial
engineering major

I know it is music
that has a lot of
deep bass notes
on it and is kind
of crazy. It’s like
someone taking a
bunch of musical
notes and drowning
a bunch of deep
bass lines on it.
Taylor Seale,
freshman
business major

campus

On-campus service to honor
sociology professor’s life

Tight budget fails to curtail
campus construction

Emily Davis

Natalie Blanchett

The Battalion
Students, faculty and
friends will remember the life
of sociology professor Stuart
Hysom in a service at 11 a.m.
Sunday at All Faiths Chapel.
Hysom died following a car
accident in July.
Gerianne Alexander, a psychology professor who was a
member of the college-wide
diversity committee alongside
Hysom, said she remembers
Hysom as a vibrant, ener-

Pg. 1-09.22.indd 1

getic, funny and passionate
human being.
“He was always making
everyone laugh at meetings,
but he was very zealous about
his work on the diversity
committee,” Alexander said.
“He was especially sensitive
to other people’s plights. He
gave a lot of extra time to the
committee because he cared
so deeply about it.”
Alexander said this concern
for equal rights was evident
in his involvement with the
Faculty Senate, where Hysom

helped
pass
the “plus one”
benefits resolution. The bill
supports a policy that allows
all professors,
Hysom
regardless of their
sexual orientation, to add their
partner to their insurance.
Alexander and communications professor Patrick Burkart, who worked with Hysom on the “plus one” bill,
said Hysom’s actions helped
See Hysom on page 4

The Battalion
Despite the recent economic downturn, in which
Texas A&M suffered a $39
million decrease in state
funding, more than a halfbillion dollars in numerous
construction projects have
flourished across the campus.
Because of the funding
decrease, University administration has consolidated
staff positions, decreased
class offerings and left faculty vacancies unfilled. B.J.

Crain, chief business officer
for the A&M System, said
that despite these shortcomings the University is able to
continue construction because of the separate funding
sources for construction and
other operating expenses.
Currently, there are 18
construction projects in
production with an overall
budget of $562,566,491 according to a Capital Projects spreadsheet provided by
A&M administration. Projects on the list include a $10
million energy consumption

reduction project, $95 million for emerging technologies and the $116 million
renovation of the Memorial
Student Center.
Funding for the projects
comes in the form of six
designated funding sources:
a Permanent University
Fund, auxiliary enterprises,
designated tuition, state and
local funds, tuition revenue
bonds and private donations.
Crain said the Permanent
University Fund was strong
See Construction on page 4

corrections
The Battalion welcomes
readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comments
about published
information that may
require correction. We
will pursue your concern
to determine whether
a correction needs to
Jennifer Siegel â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE BATTALION
www.villagefoods.com
be published. Please
We make
it easy to eat... The Langford Architecture Center lobby features models of oversized,
contact
us at editor@
wooden dinosaur puzzles created by sophomore architecture students.
thebatt.com.

howtoapply
If you are interested in
writing or contributing
content in The Battalion,
apply at thebatt.com, or
call 845-3313.
The Battalion welcomes
any Texas A&M student
interested in writing
for the arts, campus,
metro or sports staffs to
We
it easy to...
try out.
Wemake
particularly
encourage freshmen and
sophomores to apply,
but students may try out
regardless of semester
standing or major. No
previous journalism
experience is necessary.

campus
Sharp releases deputy chancellor after 2 weeks
Jay Kimbrough, deputy chancellor for the
Texas A&M University System, was let go
from his position Wednesday afternoon.
According to reports from The Eagle, University
police were called to the A&M System
headquarters when System Chancellor John
Sharpwww.
delivered
the news .com
to Kimbrough.
villagefoods
Police Sgt. Allan Baron told reporters an
incident occurred and at one point Kimbrough
pulled out a pocketknife before departing
the ofďŹ ce. Kimbrough told The Eagle that he
pulled out the knife during dismissal because
he was â&#x20AC;&#x153;jesting with some of the people I
was talking to [and it] was misunderstood.â&#x20AC;?
Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and

communications, dismissed the accusations
and said that Kimbrough left the building
peacefully. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was not an incident
between Mr. Kimbrough and Mr. Sharp,â&#x20AC;?
Cook said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was not an arrest made
and there was no police action taken. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not
uncommon to have security presence when
personnel actions are taken.â&#x20AC;? Sharp was
appointed to his current position on Sept. 8.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have decided that the position of Deputy
Chancellor is not necessary to meet the needs
of the OfďŹ ce of the Chancellor and The Texas
A&M University System,â&#x20AC;? Sharp said in an
e-mail to System employees.

1 Bed $490 - $565

2 Bed $550 - $690

1101 Southwest Parkway, College Station
979-693-0804

PUBLIC NOTICE

Proposition Number 8
authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into
(SJR 16)
interlocal contracts with other citConstitutional Amendments
ies or counties without the impo- SJR 16 would amend the constiSpecial Election November 8, 2011
sition of a tax or the provision of tution by requiring the legislature
to provide for taxation of open
a sinking fund.â&#x20AC;?
Proposition Number 1
students, subject to certain conspace land devoted to water stewstitutional restrictions, including
(SJR 14)
ardship purposes on the basis of
Proposition Number 6
a restriction as to the maximum
its productive capacity.
SJR 14 would amend the consti- principal amount of bonds out(HJR 109)
tution to authorize the legislature standing at any one time.
HJR 109 would amend the con- The proposed amendment would
to provide the surviving spouse of
appear on the ballot as follows:
a 100 percent or totally disabled The proposed amendment would stitution to increase the amount
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment
veteran with an exemption from appear on the ballot as follows: of principal that is available for
providing for the appraisal for ad
withdrawal
from
the
permanent
ad valorem taxation of all or part â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment
valorem tax purposes of openof the market value of the surviv- providing for the issuance of gen- school fund each year and would
space land devoted to water-stewalso
clarify
certain
references
ing spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence homestead eral obligation bonds of the State
ardship purposes on the basis of
as long as the surviving spouse of Texas to finance educational to that fund in the constitution.
its productive capacity.â&#x20AC;?
Increased
access
to
the
princihas not remarried, the property loans to students.â&#x20AC;?
pal of the state public education
was the residence homestead of
Proposition Number 9
trust fund would be based upon
the surviving spouse when the
Proposition Number 4
HJR 109 granting the author(SJR 9)
qualifying veteran died, and the
(HJR 63)
ity to consider alternative market
property remains the residence
SJR 9 would amend the constituhomestead of the surviving HJR 63 would amend the consti- calculations when determining
tion to authorize the governor, on
the
amount
of
principal
that
is
spouse.
tution to authorize the legislature
available for distribution to the the written recommendation and
to permit a county to issue bonds
advice of the Board of Pardons
The proposed amendment would or notes to finance the develop- available school fund. HJR 109
and Paroles, to grant a pardon,
appear on the ballot as follows: ment or redevelopment of an would also provide authority to
reprieve, or commutation of pundistribute
to
the
available
school
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment unproductive, underdeveloped,
ishment to a person who successauthorizing the legislature to or blighted area within the coun- fund annual revenue from school
fully completes a term of deferred
fund
land
or
other
properties
up
provide for an exemption from ty, and to pledge increases in ad
adjudication community superviad valorem taxation of all or part valorem tax revenues imposed on to $300 million per year.
sion.
of the market value of the resi- property in the area by the county
dence homestead of the surviving for repayment of such bonds or The proposed amendment would
The proposed amendment would
spouse of a 100 percent or totally notes. The amendment does not appear on the ballot as follows:
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment appear on the ballot as follows:
disabled veteran.â&#x20AC;?
provide independent authority for
clarifying references to the per- â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment
increasing ad valorem tax rates.
manent school fund, allowing the authorizing the governor to grant
Proposition Number 2
General Land Office to distribute a pardon to a person who successThe proposed amendment would
(SJR 4)
revenue from permanent school fully completes a term of deferred
appear on the ballot as follows:
adjudication community superviSJR 4 would amend the constitu- â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment fund land or other properties to
sion.â&#x20AC;?
tion to authorize the Texas Water authorizing the legislature to the available school fund to provide
additional
funding
for
pubDevelopment Board to issue ad- permit a county to issue bonds
Proposition Number 10
ditional general obligation bonds or notes to finance the develop- lic education, and providing for
an
increase
in
the
market
value
(SJR 37)
on a continuing basis for one or ment or redevelopment of an unmore accounts of the Texas Water productive, underdeveloped, or of the permanent school fund for
SJR 37 would amend the constiDevelopment Fund II, with the blighted area and to pledge for the purpose of allowing increased
tution by extending the length of
restriction that the total amount repayment of the bonds or notes distributions from the available
the unexpired term that causes
school
fund.â&#x20AC;?
of bonds outstanding at any time increases in ad valorem taxes imthe automatic resignation of cerdoes not exceed $6 billion.
posed by the county on property
tain local elected officeholders
Proposition Number 7
in the area. The amendment does
if they announce candidacy or
The proposed amendment would not provide authority for increas(SJR 28)
become candidates for another
appear on the ballot as follows: ing ad valorem tax rates.â&#x20AC;?
SJR 28 would amend the consti- office from one year to one year
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment
tution by adding El Paso County and 30 days.
providing for the issuance of adProposition Number 5
to the list of counties authorized
ditional general obligation bonds
(SJR 26)
to create conservation and recla- The proposed amendment would
by the Texas Water Development
appear on the ballot as follows:
Board in an amount not to exceed SJR 26 would amend the con- mation districts to develop parks
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment
and
recreational
facilities
fi$6 billion at any time outstand- stitution to authorize the legislato change the length of the unexnanced by taxes.
ing.â&#x20AC;?
ture to allow cities and counties
pired term that causes the autoto enter into interlocal contracts
The proposed amendment would matic resignation of certain electProposition Number 3
with other cities and counties
appear on the ballot as follows: ed county or district officeholders
without having to assess an ad
(SJR 50)
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment if they become candidates for anvalorem tax and set aside a speciother office.â&#x20AC;?
SJR 50 would amend the constitu- fied amount of funds for the pay- authorizing the legislature to
tion to authorize the Texas Higher ment of costs under the interlocal permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County
Education Coordinating Board or contract.
to issue bonds supported by ad Published by Secretary of State
its successors to issue and sell
Hope Andrade,
general obligation bonds on a The proposed amendment would valorem taxes to fund the develwww.sos.state.tx.us,
continuing basis for the purpose appear on the ballot as follows: opment and maintenance of parks
1-800-252-VOTE (8683).
of financing educational loans for â&#x20AC;&#x153;The constitutional amendment and recreational facilities.â&#x20AC;?
Brief Explanatory Statements of Proposed

Robert Carpenter, Editor in Chief
THE BATTALION (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the
fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except
University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University. Periodicals Postage Paid at
College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, Texas A&M
University, 1111 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1111.
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in
Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. News ofďŹ ces are in The Grove, Bldg.
8901. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3313; Fax: 979-845-2647; E-mail: metro@thebatt.com; website:
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Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a
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Pg. 2-09.22.11.indd 1

9/21/11 11:49 PM

b!
thebattalion 09.22.2011 page3

lifestyles

COURTESY PHOTOS

The Nirvana Nevermind 20th anniversary reissue releases Tuesday as a two-CD deluxe edition
featuring the remastered album and B-sides, the Smart Studio sessions and boombox rehearsals.

Smells like 90s spirit

T

he year is 1991. The world sinks into a pit of social
and political strife. The Gulf War rages, rioters
storm LA after Rodney King is beaten, Jeffrey
Dahmer is arrested and the Soviet Union dissolves.

Ryan Gosling plays the unnamed, silent stuntman in Drive.

Matt Bizzell
The stage is set; America sees the world through
a grey and cloudy lens. A small band erupts onto
the main stage with their single, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smells Like Teen
Spirit.â&#x20AC;? The age of Nirvana begins.
Nirvanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second studio album, Nevermind, defined a new decade for many in America. The music
appalled some, but to the long-haired, plaid-wearing,
angst-filled youth, it gave a sense of belonging. The
dark and gritty songs rose from the foggy landscape
of Seattle and took the nation by storm. Nevermind
didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only change the music scene, it changed
everything.
The rough edge of Kurt Cobainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice sang the
songs the world personified. Lyrics blasted the population with their own selfishness, greed and apathy
towards one another. Nevermind encapsulated Generation X and all that it represented. Songs like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pollyâ&#x20AC;?
echoed the heinous crimes the world spewed and the
twisted psychosis of the people that made these things
a reality.
Nevermind awakened many people; the very album
title is a play on apathy and arguably the attitude of a
generation. Culture itself is indebted to the political
and social surge that band brought; it opened the eyes
of young people everywhere.
Nirvana wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the first political band, but it made
taking a stand through music popular again. A deluge
of politically-conscious bands followed Nirvanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
example, continuing to shock and inform. The band

can be credited for taking
sophomore English
responsibility for a generation,
major
the diplomats for an upstart
culture of the 90s.
With the 20th anniversary of Nevermind this year,
itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as good of a time as any look back and see the
progression of a particularly aware music scene. A few
years later, the world was introduced to bands like
Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down
without even recognizing the roots Nirvana planted.
We live in an age much like the one Nirvana grew
into. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fighting a war in a place most people canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
point out on a map, and the cast of political and social
characters is as long and as ludicrous as before.
But now, we can recognize these aspects and question them without being social pariahs. Nirvana had
a lot to do with this; they spoke out and were labeled
as outcasts for it, but the people that heard them were
changed. Nirvana showed the public a dark side, a
rarely glimpsed but ever-present gloom that surrounds
daily life.
The fact that they embraced politics enticed a lot
of young individuals. Today, those young individuals
are components of bands and activist groups. Are we
better off due to Nirvana and Nevermind? Maybe. Are
we as people of this generation more aware because of
the album? You decide.

Hyper-stylized

W

hat makes a hero? According to comic books, a hero is
someone who can fly and fight evil wherever it exists.
If we listen to the news, heroes are soldiers, policemen
and firefighters; men who risk their lives for the common good.
However, we never hear of the
heroes that slip through the cracks
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the ones that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t battling
nefarious criminals or working to
better society. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in this gray area
that Drive and its nameless hero,
the Driver, exist. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know
who he is or where he came from;
he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care to tell us. We only
see what he does over the course of
100 minutes. Ryan Goslingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subtle
performance as the Driver gives the
film, and director Nicholas Winding
Refn, the power to be fearless.
The story seems simple enough;
the Driver falls for his neighbor,
Irene (Carey Mulligan), and must
protect her from the gangsters with
whom her husband once worked.
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a violent tale, as most films

including gangsters seem to be, but
it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t revel in viciousness. Nor
does it make any apologies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; characters are beaten, stabbed, and shot
with regularity.
It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter who they are or
how important they are to the story.
There are no lingering, dramatic
deaths or second chances. Director
Refn dives straight into and out of
the action, treating important moments in the film as minor detours
along the way. The film itself is a
metaphor for lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive, speeding
from beginning to end.
Owen Herterich is a senior
visualiztion major.
Read the entire Drive review online
at the thebatt.com.

Join us at the Waller County Fairgrounds
where we invite you to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kick Up Your Heelsâ&#x20AC;? and have some fun!

N
R
E
T
S
E
W GES
BELiqVuoErRBeAer Wine
2499

Grey Goose

Our fair features many different choices of entertainment:
s ! GOOD OLD FASHION RODEO WITH BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR COMPETITORS
s #ARNIVAL RIDES AND VARIOUS CONCESSIONS
s 'OOD FOOD
AND A SELECTION OF CRAFTS FROM AREA VENDORS
s &INALLY
WHAT FAIR WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A DANCE AND LIVE MUSIC
s "RING YOUR !G &OOTBALL TICKET FOR FREE ADMISSION
0,!9).'